TBJ185: Sylvia Alimena

Sylvia Alimena is a gift to the brass world and the music world in general!

As you will hear, she has an incredibly refreshing outlook on performing, teaching and on life.

The work that she does with Brass of Peace will have a ripple effect on the world for many years to come.

I’m so glad we were finally able to make this interview happen!

You can watch the episode on YouTube below or head over to Pedal Note Media for all of the links to where to find it.

Enjoy!

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On This Episode of The Brass Junkies:

• Sylvia’s incredible 29-year run in the National Symphony Orchestra

• What it was like playing under Rostropovich

• The energy and passion that was captured in the National Symphony Orchestra recordings under Rostropovich

• The one-liners that Slava used to deliver in rehearsals

• A memorable concert of Shostakovich 8 in Orchestra Hall in Chicago where they really went for it

• The National Symphony’s transition from Rostropovich to Slatkin

• What she learned as a conductor from Leonard Slatkin

• Slatkin’s ability to convey everything in rehearsal with his hands rather than his word

• Rostropovich’s ability to motivate every single person in the orchestra and make them feel loved and how she has tried to bring that to all of her conducting engagements

• What she saw coming from the podium that she intentionally tried not to emulate herself as a conductor

• The benefit of an orchestral horn section that isn’t all playing the same brand of horn

• How Sylvia took over Brass of Peace from its founder

• Why it’s never too soon to talk to students about artistry

• Working through a common problem with “Guinea Pig Time”

• Why she stopped teaching for a while and why she felt a calling to come back to it

• Why the key of saying no to things is putting yourself and your health first

• Her need to convey strength and where she thinks that might come from

• What life was like as a female horn player in an orchestra early in her career

• How she has seen kids evolve mentally to be more human towards each other than they were 30+ years ago

• Lance teaching his studio to tango

• “Hold the torch high”

• Sylvia’s job as an educator is to give students the skills to differentiate themselves in college

• The three-step audition process for Brass of Peace and what a typical season looks like

• How COVID has changed whether some kids are looking to go into music for a career

• Fractured Atlas and how they help to support Brass of Peace

• Sylvia visits The Practicing Corner with two really good pieces of advice

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The Brass Junkies: Marty Hackleman

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We were honored to be joined by one of the best horn players in the world and a dear friend of mine, Marty Hackleman! As you will hear, the mindset that he brings to his craft is truly phenomenal. And it all stems from a decision he made when he was 16! It's an inspiring tale.

Marty also talks about the many stops along his incredible career, including winning his first professional audition at the age of 19.

He is the only person who was ever a full-time member of both the Canadian Brass and Empire Brass and discusses how it came to be that he and Dave Ohanian came to switch quintets.

And he has some tough love for Jens!

Marty Hackleman Quotes from 2011 Master Class at George Mason University

Last night, Professor Marty Hackleman gave an amazing master class at George Mason University.  Marty is the principal horn of the National Symphony and a former member of both the Empire Brass and the Canadian Brass.  In my opinion, he is one of the premier teachers and performers that the brass world has ever known. I have put a few of the quotes that really spoke loudly to me in bold.  What quotes jump out at you? Please comment with your favorite quote and how it relates to your playing.

Here are the highlights from the class:

• "It's not that you work, it's how you work."
   

• "How simple can you make the problem?  How simple can you make the solution?"
   

• "We don't see the causes.  We see the symptoms."
   

• "All that you want to do is make it slightly better than yesterday but not as good as tomorrow.  And you enjoy the chase."
   

• "When you do a daily routine, don't sit in front of the TV wasting your time."
   

• "Think of your routine as a physical brass mediation.  Enjoy the time alone."
   

• "The routine is a question of how you play and not what you play."
   

• "A lot of times when you have a problem with your playing and you think you know the solution try the exact opposite.  85% of the time it will work.  And that comes from personal experience."
   

• "I only breathe as much as I need when I'm warming up and I focus on quality over quantity.  But if you're playing a different instrument, like the tuba, it may be different."
   

• "It is more important to practice efficiently than a lot of inefficient practicing.  If you don't feel like it, stop.  Get a cup of coffee and then come back.  Then suck it up and make yourself feel like it for even 15 minutes."
   

• "Even if you can play your ass off, try to make it easier."
   

• "Make it as simple, natural and easy as you can."
   

• "Don't save the high notes until the end of your routine.  They shouldn't be that precious.  They should be a natural extension of everything else."
   

• "I failed first.  Everybody failed first.  But do you stop at failure?"
   

• "You'll be surprised that if you ask yourself to do something regularly, you'll find a solution."
   

• "If tension is creeping into your playing, your routine is where you find that out, not in rehearsal or in performance."
   

• "Support isn't caused by air.  They are separate things."
   

• "You want to use your routine to make yourself better, not just make yourself functional."
   

• "I know (my routine) works because at almost 60 years old I believe I can play better than I've ever played in my life.  And it's not luck.  I promise you."
   

• "First thing is you have to make sure that your horn sounds like what's in your head."
   

• "You have to be more responsible about being a musician and not just a horn player."
   

• "We make crescendos and we don't come all the way back.  If you come all the way back you have somewhere to go again."

Thank you Marty for such an insightful class! Everyone is welcome to attend his next class, free of charge, on Monday April 4th at 7:30pm at George Mason University.